J. Reginald Murphy | |
|---|---|
| Born | John Reginald Murphy (1934-01-07)January 7, 1934 Gainesville, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | November 9, 2024(2024-11-09) (aged 90) |
| Occupations | Publisher and business executive |
| Known for | Being kidnapped in 1974 |
John Reginald Murphy (January 7, 1934 – November 9, 2024), usually known asReg Murphy, was an American publisher, author and business executive.
A native ofGainesville, Georgia who attendedMercer University,[1] Murphy began his career injournalism with theMacon Telegraph, and was awarded aNieman Fellowship at Harvard University, where he studied from 1958 to 1960. He became editor of theAtlanta Constitution, editor and publisher ofThe San Francisco Examiner, and publisher and CEO ofThe Baltimore Sun.
Murphy was president and CEO of theNational Geographic Society from 1996 to 1998.
From 1994 to 1995, Murphy served as the president of theUnited States Golf Association.[2] He authored abiography ofGriffin Bell,Uncommon Sense: The Achievement of Griffin Bell.
In 2012 he served as Executive-in-Residence at theCollege of Coastal Georgia.[3]
Murphy waskidnapped on February 20, 1974, at the age of 40, and was freed two days later after theAtlanta Constitution paid $700,000 ransom.[2][4]
Murphy was well known for his stance against theVietnam War, but the motive for the kidnapping is still unknown.[5] William A. H. Williams was arrested for the crime only six hours after Murphy was released, and all of the money was recovered.[6]
Williams was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in jail but served only nine; his wife Betty received probation for not reporting her husband to police.[2][7] Williams claimed to represent a right-wing militia group called The American Revolutionary Army, protesting against "too leftist and too liberal" media outlets and a government which was a “fraud and a murderer on a mass scale”, and sought to have all federal elected officials resign.[8]
In 2019, contacted by a journalist, Williams apologised for the kidnapping.[9]
Murphy had a wife, Diana, and two daughters.[2] He died inSt. Simons Island, Georgia, on November 9, 2024, at the age of 90.[10]
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